awww poor Benson must be awful for him having anxiety issues that you are going to leave him as others have said due to his last owner dying. We took in a stray dog from our local doggie death row, she had been found wandering the streets and she had issues when we first got her 3 approx yrs ago. You never know what they have been thro if from a rescue kennel though she had kennel cough and had only been in 2 days apparently when we first got her. She still has her moments where you know she is thinking she will be chucked out again or lost. I am sure that your little Benson will soon calm down and then you will wonder how you ever lived without her in your life.

Have you thought of leaving an old item of clothing with Benson when you go out so there is something smelling of you with him. What about having him in one room with your item whilst you quietly sit in the other room with the door closed for short periods at first then gradually building the time up to longer periods. What about feeding him just before you go out so he has something to occupy his mind or one of those activity balls that you can fill with his favourite treats to play with instead of your posessions.

You have my mobile number if you want a chat you're welcome to give me a call anytime out of office hours - I have to keep it free for our reception when I'm away from my desk.

tried all that..well most of it..he has a jumper and a shirt... he is not a good eater anyway so the food doesnt work.. cant leave him in one room and close the door as he opens doors and i have no locks on doors inside the house

He gets confused with parrots whistling ( guess due to his hearing) and then he dont stop barking

and the constant fighting of the oldest cat and him.. i dont want to be in middle again ..i cant risk to be injured again and have stitches as those now will take me 4-6 months to heal due to the meds i take with my arthritis ;(

dont know really.. and they said he is 14 and dont like to walk..well i tell you he can walk for hours... and i cant... so there are more con's then pro's really i am afraid ;(

Hi Kirstin Sorry to hear you are havng problems. When you go out, have you thought of a dog cage with an old duvet or blanket in it. That way he cant wreck the house. You can start him off in it while you are around so that he gets used to it, then when you do have to leave him try leaving the tv or radio on so that he has company. As for the barking, I saw a prog on TV a while ago. Cant remember what the ladies name was but she trains difficult dogs. This one barked at the tv and everyone who went to the house etc. What she did was put his lead on and remove him from the room each time he barked then brought him back in when he stopped barking. this did work. It has to be done a few times to get the message into his head. As for the pulling when out walking, try a 'HALTI' this is a nose strap that the lead fastens to, it isnt a muzzle. When the dog pulls all it does is go round in circles as the leed connects to the side of the strap. Cats & dogs, you will find that as they are both aged they will both believe they are king pin. Does the cat go outside??? If so when cat is out let Benson have the house when cat comes in put Benson in dog cage. Hope some of this is helpful

My cat is used to dogs so i am even more surprised she acts like that... she goes out sometimes but not much - she is 18 now

The pulling is really bad but mainly when people or other dogs pass us... and then i hardly can hold him.

And he is far too active for me not like they told me.

I cant walk him 4 times a day for 1hr... and he needs to run... he is fit for his age.. even if i get everything else worked out more or less i will struggle with walks..

I have the RSPCA coming tomorrow morning and she will get a picture herself and we will have a chat and i go from there.

I dont want to sound selfish but i wanted to do something good for an older dog as well by giving him a home but i also wanted and stated clearly it has to be a dog who isnt that active anymore due to my mobility

Hi Kerstin. You have to do what's best for you in the long run. You can't go walking a very active dog two or three times a day with stitches in your leg. It sounds like they were desperate to place an old dog and they haven't taken your needs into account.

You should foster a few extra parrots instead. ;-).

Keep your cats happy if they are getting old. Sounds like they are used to having the run of the house and are very jealous of the dog.

I been crying like a Baby on phone to RSPCA today..like said..not easy to make the right decision.. and i know he really likes me

my head was spinning last 3 days trying to do the right thing... i spent a lot of money before i got him due to their policy... new gardenfence cost me 183, his bed, foodbowls, lead,collar, food - but hey if it doesnt work it doesnt work

Coco already barks yaps and growls like next doors dog already. Two weeks at yours and she will be meowing howling and making fighting noises!

Oh. She has also started sniffing and coughing as my husband has a cold and cough. The first time she did it I thought she was choking and I kept rushing into the sitting room. After two or three times I twigged that it was just part of her repatoire.

Had the Lady in from the RSPCA and i have to say some really good advice and help there. We went through all problems and doubts i have, she was here 2 hrs this morning. I feel much better and give him more time to settle and go and do special training with him to solve some problems hopefully.

If it still doesnt work he has to go back. But for now i give him a bit more time

Hi glad you have had some good advice. I really feel for you as it is so so difficult you want them to understand that if they are not with you then who else will take them on. I currently have 4 rescue dogs each of them arrived with different "issues". They are all still "work in progress" . Good luck.